TOWNSEND - from the History of Traveller's Rest
James Townsend came from Berkshire, England and took up hold-ings in the French River area in 1775.
James' son Captain John was twice married and died in 1790.
His son John moved to what is now Traveller's Rest in the early 1820's and received grants of land from the Crown. This area included land on both sides of the old Post Road and east of Traveller's Rest Corner.
The first settler, John Townsend was a timber-looker, who ranged the woods looking for masts for ships. He married Ann Montgomery in 1819 and their children were: Eliza, Thomas, John, Archie, James, Montgomery,and twins Ann and Zillah.
Thomas stayed on the home farm, married Amy Green, a school teacher. He built a house behind his father's where George Taylor's house now stands. Their family was William, Albenia, Colin, Gilbert, and Annie, none of whom married.
William became a Presbyterian clergyman and spent all his preach-ing years in New Brunswick, where his sister, Albenia was his housekeeper. Rev. Wm. Townsend retired to Charlottetown where he and his sister lived until his death.
Colin Gilbert intended to stay on the farm but an accident in the woods left him physically unable to carry on farm work, so he studied at home and eventually went to Pine Hill Divinity School, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was ordained around the turn of the century. He took a charge in northern New Brunswick. Soon thereafter he developed pneumonia and died.
Thomas their father carried on farming operations with the help of his nephews, Angus and Sandy Green until his death after which the farm was sold to Robert C. Marchbank in 1910. Annie served as Postmistress at Townsend's Corner for seven years. John married Mrs. Amy (Linkletter)
Clark, from North Bedeque and moved to Sherbrooke, where his son Major farmed and raised a family.
Archie, who was a bookkeeper lived in the home place. He married Eliza Clark and had the following family; Elizabeth who was a dress-maker, married John Anderson, who was later Provincial Auditor. They lived in Charlottetown. Bert married Mr. Hancock, Mary, Mrs. Lockhart, Alfred, Leslie, Clark and Louis. Their father Archie died reasonably young and was buried in North Bedeque. Mrs. Townsend and the rest of the family moved to United States.
Montgomery never married but lived in the home place until his death.
James married Eliza Walker and moved to New Annan to the farm now owned by Walter Moase.
Anne never married but lived with her brother Thomas.
Anne's twin, Zellah, married James Muirhead of Summerside.
Eliza married Archibald Ramsay and lived in Hamilton.
Named in his will: daughters Zilla, Eliza and Ann; sons James, Montgomery, Archibald and Thomas